The Basic Raw Materials Involved With Metal Fabrication

The metal fabricators have a variety of metals forms with which they use in order to reduce the cycle times and the workflow. Metal fabrication is the creation of metal components, parts, and machinery through cutting, forming, melting, etc. The common fabrication techniques include grinding, welding, honing, milling, lathing, etc. Metal fabrication is applied in all industries from automotive and beverage to storage and electrical. The following types of raw materials are the main forms used in the fabrication process.

• Plate Metal
• Fittings
• Castings
• Formed and expanded metal
• Hardware
• Sectional metal
• Flat metal
• Welding wire

I. Casting Raw Materials. This involves forcing liquid metal into a mold then allowing it to cool and harden into the desired shape. It’s a process that entails complex geometries. The common metals used in the casting process include:

• Aluminum
• Iron
• Steel
• Stainless steel
• Gold
• Silver
• Copper
• Magnesium

II. Formed & Expanded Metal Raw Materials. In this process, the stock metal sheeting is sheared in a press to yield diamond-shaped holes encircled by interlinked standards of metals. This makes the product ideal for outdoor metal furniture. It’s also used as a barrier or guarding on machinery to shield off hot surfaces. The expanded metal raw materials come in a variety of standard thicknesses and grating sizes.

III. Types of Hardware Raw Materials. Hardware is defined as various standardized fittings and parts that are used to make a product tougher, more functional and easier to fabricate. There are several categories of metal fabrication hardware

• Corners
• Handles
• Locks
• Keys
• Latches
• Chains
• Wire

IV. Types of Sectional Metals. The most popular types of sectional metals include I-beam, rods, bars, Z-shape, and Hollow structural section (HSS). HSS-shapes can also be channeled, angled, T-shaped or asymmetrical. In America, wide flange (WF) and H-beams are considered subsections of this category.

V. Flat Metal Raw Materials. These are materials that have been rolled into very thin, flat pieces. The thicknesses vary from less than a millimeter to several centimeters. The width is measured in gauges. The flat metal raw materials for fabrication fall into three categories. There is the foil or leaf metal, sheet metal and plate metal.

For professional fabrication services or architectural metal cladding services, contact CEI Materials today.